Radiator type air conditioning



Dec; 11, 1934. H. L. SMITH. JR.. ET AL RADIATOR TYPE AIR CONDITIONINGAPPARATUS Filed Oct. 21, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Dec. 11, 1934.H. L, SMITH. JR.. ET AL RADIATOR TYPE AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS FiledOct. 21, 1933 2 SheetsSheet 2 nw l 1 II I ENTORS J Patented Dec. 11',1934 'RADIATOR TYPE AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Horace L. Smith, Jr., andLucian N. Jones, Richmond, Va., assignors Corporation, Richmond, Va,

Virginia to Thermal Engineering a corporation of Application October 21,1933 Serial No. 694,560

8 Elaims.

This invention relates to heat exchangers and more particularly concernsan improved radiator device for use in heating and/or cooling the roomsof buildings or other similar enclosures.

In certain types of known heating systems for buildings, heat istransferred from a suitable fluid such as hot water or steam throughradiators located in the building rooms. It is desirable that radiatorsfor this purpose be compact in design and inconspicuous in appearance,and at the same time, efficient in heat transferring action.

In known heating systems of the type referred to, convection aircurrents are customarily relied upon to cause the flow of the room airpast the radiator surfaces. Although air propulsion by convection may besatisfactory in some heating installations, when the radiator system isarranged for both heating and cooling of the room air, as in the systemdisclosed in our copending application, Serial No. 691,780, filedOctober 2, 1933, it is desirable that positive air propelling means beemployed in connection with the radiators, at least while the system isbeing used to cool the room air.

With the above and other considerations in mind, it is proposed inaccordance with the pres-, ent invention to provide an improved radiatordevice or heat exchanger which is capable of propelling air over theheat exchanging surfaces either by convection or by mechanical airpropelling means, as conditions may require. The invention alsocontemplates the provision of a radiator including means for humidifyingthe propelled air by evaporating liquid from the circulatory systemtherein. Other objects of the invention include improved means forcollecting and removing condensed moisture from the heat exchangingsurfaces when the device is used as a cooler and improved means forsupplying variable amounts of fresh air at theproper temperature to theroom.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a radiatorconstruction which is compact in arrangement and relatively small insize, and which presents an inconspicuous and pleasing appearance wheninstalled in a room.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which an embodiment thereof has been illustrated. In thedrawings;

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a radiator device embodying ourinvention, with certain parts cut away to show the interior constructionthere- Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1and viewed in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 3 is a-sectional line 3-3 of Figure 1 and of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, of the invention includes a having air gularhousing H view taken along the viewed in the direction the radiatordevice substantially rectaninlet openings 4 adjacent the lower edge ofthe front wall 5 thereof and air outlet openings 6 adjacent the upperedge of such wall. As shown, the housing H is located in a recess of aroom wall '7 with the front wall 5 of the device substantially flushwith the inner or room surface of the wall. It should be understood thatthe invention is in no way limited to this type of installation,

H may be located at any desired and that the housing point within a roomrather than in a wall recess as shown.

In general, the housing change unit E,

H encloses a heat exan air propelling means F :and a humidifying meansG, together with means for collecting condensed moisture,

e air curre ing and regulating th means for directnts and various otherelements as hereinafter described.

The heat exchange unit E is preferably of. the

finned tube type and as shown, may comprise a plurality of horizontaltubes8 disposed transversely of the housing H at a the air inlet openingtween an inlet header 9 and point somewhat above 4. The tubes 8 extendbean outlet header 10 and a series of vertical closely spaced fins 11 ofcopper or other suitable heat conductive metal are fixed to all of thetubes.

The inlet header 9 is sup-v plied with water or other circulated fluidthrough a pipe 12 under the the operating handle 14 of disposed outsideof H, as shown in Figure 2.

control of avalve 13, and

this valve is accessibly the front wall 5 of the housing An outlet pipe15 is connected to the header 10.

In accordance with our dis invention, the lower posed at an angle to asshown inFigures 2 and 3, nt downward from the to-the rear thereof, as '7is disposed beneath the lower rearward ends of the fins 11, and a pipe18 connects this trough with a suitable drain. With this arrangement,when mo tubes 8 and fins 11 during the cooling oper em, this moistureruns in drops to the of the syst isture collects on the ation lowerslanting edges 16 of the fins 11 and these drops then travel along theslanting edges to their lowermost extremities and tion trough 17.

fall into the condensa- The air propelling means F is preferablydisposed above and spaced 2. short distance from the heat exchange unitE. In the disclosed embodiment, this air propelling means comprises tworotary blowers or fans 19 disposed within a casing 20 and driven by amotor 21. The casing 20 is fixed against the rear wall of the housing Hbut is spaced a considerable distance from the front wall 5 thereof soas to provide a vertical air passage 22 around the blowers 19 from theupper surface of the heat exchange unit E to the upper outlet opening 6of the housing H. The flow of air through this passage is controlled bya damper 23 hinged to the upper inside edge of the fan casing 20 andmovable by means of a sector 24 and a pinion 25 to close or open theupper end of the passage, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The shaft of thepinion 25 extends through the front wall 5 of the housing H, and ahandle or knob 26 is provided on this shaft to operate the damper 23.

The blowers 19 are of conventional construction, each comprising arotary impeller 27 journaled on a suitable shaft 28. The blades 29 ofthe impellers are radially disposed and a circular opening 30 isprovided in thecasing 20 adjacent the central portion of each blower,the edges of these openings being substantially aligned with the innerends of the radial blades '29, as shown in Figure 1. Each blower shaftextends through the adjacent opening 30 and carries a pulley 31 at theend thereof.

The blowers are driven by the centrally disposed motor 21 through thebelts 32. With the disclosed construction, when the motor 21 is operatedand the damper 23 is closed, the blowers 19 induce a current of airwhich enters the housing H through the openings 4, passes upwardlythrough the heat exchange unit E, enters the openings 30 of the blowercasing 20 through the passage 22, passes out of the blower casingthrough the open upper end thereof and leaves the housing H through theopenings 6. When forced air circulation is not needed, the motor 21 isshut down and the damper 23 is opened, whereupon air is propelledthrough the heat exchange unit E and the passage 22 by convection.

We prefer to provide means for humidifying the air when the heatexchange unit E is being used to raise the air temperature. In thedisclosed embodiment, this means comprises a spray nozzle 33 disposedabove the heat exchange unit E and acting to project a substantiallyhorizontal stream of water across the heated air. stream rising from-theunit. The water stream impinges upon a block 34 located on the back wallof the housing H and is broken up into a fine mist or spray whichquickly evaporates in the heated air. The nozzle 33 is preferablysupplied with hot water or steam from the inlet header 9 of the heatexchange unit E through a pipe 35, and the flow of humidifying fluid isgoverned erated by a handle or knob 36 outside of the housing wall 5.

When metallic surfaces exposed to room air are cooled to a temperaturebelow the dewpoint of this air, moisture condenses on these surfaces. Inorder to prevent this so-called sweating of the front housing wall 5, weprovide an inner wall 37, spaced a short distance from the front wall 5and extending across the entire width of the housing from the upper endof the lower air inlet openings 4 to the lower end of the upper airoutlet openings 6. The walls 5 and 37 form therebetween a vertical airpassage 38 extending from. the air openings 4 to the air openings 6. Asshown in Figures 2 and 3, the comparatively warm by a valve op-' roomair flows through the passage 38 and maintains the walls 5 and 37 at atemperature above the dewpoint of the room air. This flow of air throughthe passage 38 is induced by the main air stream which is propelledthrough the housing H by the circulating means F.

In most installations, it is desirable to introduce a variable amount offresh air from the out side atmosphere into the room or enclosure. Thisis ordinarily accomplished by opening windows, with the result thatuncomfortable drafts or cold or hot air streaks are produced in theroom. With our improved radiator device, the ventilating air from theoutside may be introduced in the desired quantities through the heatexchange unit whereby this air is brought to the required temperaturebefore it enters the room proper. The

fresh or outside air is preferably introduced to the housing H below theheat exchange unit E though a conduit or duct 39 communicating with theoutside atmosphere. A screen or air filter 40 may be disposed in thisduct if desired. The opening 41 through which the duct 39 communicateswith the housing H is controlled by a damper 42 which is movable aboutthe hinge 43 to vary the amount of fresh air admitted. The damper 42 maybe moved by any suitable means, and as shown, a knob 44 located outsideof the housing wall 5 operates a worm 45 engaginga sector 46 and thesector 46 is connected with the damper 42 through a link 47.

Our improved radiator device is suitable for use with a system in whichwater is circulated through the heat exchange unit E, this water beingheated to a temperature higher than that of the room air during thecooler seasons and being cooled to a lower temperature than that of theroom air during the warmer .months. When used with such a system, it isgenerally preferred to operate the blowers 19 only when the system isused to cool the room air, and to open the damper 23 and propel the airby convection alone when the air is being heated. The radiator device ofthe invention is, of course, applicable to steam or hot water heatingsystems or to cooling systems, and the forced air propelling means maybe used under heating conditions as well as cooling conditions ifdesired.

We claim:

1. In a device of the type described, a vertically extending housinghaving air openings adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof, a heatexchange unit extending across said housing between said openings, acasing in said housing having an opening communicating with said heatexchange unit and an opening communicating with said upper air opening,means in said casing for propelling air from said lower air openingthrough said heat exchange unit and said casing and outv of said upperair opening, a substantially vertical duct in said housing extendingpast said casing and connecting said heat exchange device directly withsaid upper air opening and movable means for at times closing said duct.

2. In a device of the type described, a housing having vertically spacedair openings therein, a,

posed at an angle to the horizontal, and means in such housing disposedbeneath the lowest points of said fins for collecting moisture condensedupon and falling from said fins.

4. In a device of the type described, a housing having vertically spacedair openings therein, and a.heat exchange device disposed in saidhousing in the path of air travel through said housing between saidopenings, said heat exchange device comprising at least onelongitudinally extending fluid carrying duct, a plurality of verticalfins on said duct, said fins having straight lower edges disposed at anangle to the horizontal and terminating at downwardly disposed pointssubstantially aligned longitudinally of the device and a moisturecollecting trough disposed beneathsaid points of all of said fins.

5. A heat exchange device comprising a plurality of longitudinallyextendingtubes, a plurality of vertically extending fins closely spacedon said tubes, said fins having straight lower edges disposed at anangle to the horizontal and terminating at downwardly disposed pointsaligned longitudinally of said tubes and spaced laterally from avertical projection of said tubes and a trough disposed beneath saidpoints of said fins at one side of a vertical projection of said tubes,whereby moisture condensed on said fins may be collected withoutmaterially obstructing the flow of air vertically to said device.

6. A heat exchange device comprising a plurality of substantiallyparallel longitudinally extending tubes, a plurality of verticallyextending fins engaging said tubes and closely spaced longitudinally ofsaid tubes, all of said fins having slanting lower edges with theirlowermost points at one side of said device, and a moisture collectingtrough disposed at one side of said device beneath the lowermost pointsof said fins.

7. In a device of the type described, a vertically extending housinghaving vertically spaced air inlet and outlet openings therein, aradiator unit extending across said housing between said openings, acasing in said housing having an opening communicating with saidradiator unit and an opening communicarting with one of said housingopenings, means in said casing for propelling air through said casingbetween the openings thereof, a duct in said housing connecting saidradiator unit with both of the aforesaid housing openings independentlyof said casing and means for at times closing said duct.

8. In a device of the type described, a vertically extending housinghaving vertically spaced air inlet and outlet openings therein, aradiator unit extending across said housing between said openings, acasing in said housing having an opening communicating with saidradiator unit and an opening communicating with one of said housingopenings, an air propelling device in said casing for propelling airthrough said casing between the openings thereof, a duct in said housingconnecting said radiator unit with the aforesaid housing openingsindependently of said casing, means for at times closing said duct andmeans located in said duct for driving said air propelling means in saidcasing.

HORACE L. SMITH, JR. LUCIAN N. JONES.

